When doctors won't tell . . .
Of all the online nutritional information, nutritional facts, medical and
dietary sites there are to choose from, in an article entitled "How
to ease the pain" The Sunday Times magazine,
Culture, published a list of just five websites it
considered reliable and informative.This site was one of that five.

CONDITIONS
AND DISEASES PREVENTED AND HELPED BY A LOW-CARB, HIGH-FAT DIET

"NH&WL may be the best non-technical book on diet ever
written"
Joel Kauffman, PhD, Professor Emeritus, University of the Sciences,
Philadelphia, PA

The Health Food Scam

Some breakfast food manufacturer hit upon the simple notion of emptying out the
leavings of cart horse nosebags, adding a few other things like unconsumed
portions of chicken layer's mash, and the sweeping of racing stables, packing
the mixture in little bags and selling them in health food shops.
Frank Muir

'Natural' products

Many people believe that if a food is 'natural', it is safe and better for
them. An indication of the strength of this belief is that in Britain we spent
Â£150-million on 'health' foods in 1991. But the health food industry is in a
far from healthy state, at least as far as the customer is concerned. For it
has its deadly side.
For drugs to be used on the public, they have to be licenced by
the Department of Health. To get that licence the drug must be shown to be
safe, effective and of good quality. And to do that can mean years of testing,
costing millions of pounds. Foods, on the other hand have a much easier
passage. Under the Ministry of Agriculture's regulations, a food must not
damage your health, but no proof is required.
So what decides whether a product is a drug or a food? You may be
surprised to learn that it is not its effect on the body, but merely what it
says on the label. (Many people believe, wrongly, that the Government is
controlling what is on the labels. There are no such controls.) If the product
claims to prevent, cure or treat something it is a drug; if it doesn't, it is a
food. Because of this loophole, a number of products, which are decidedly
unhealthy, have been sold in health food shops, even some known to be dangerous
that have been banned for use as drugs.
One such was
Tryptophan
, a naturally occurring essential amino acid found in small quantities in milk,
meat, eggs, nuts and cereals. In these it is safe. But tryptophan was sold in
health food stores and chemists for use in place of tranquillisers. A
49-year-old woman, suffering from insomnia and not wanting to take
tranquillisers, was advised to try the tryptophan sold in her local health food
shop. She did. After a few weeks her speech became slurred; later her muscles
were destroyed, she developed cramps, became increasingly disabled until she
had to resort to a wheelchair. It was the tryptophan that had ruined her life.
Tryptophan is also used as a food supplement to make the body stronger and
Bruce Newlands, a British international weight lifter, took it for this reason.
Within months his body was covered in a rash and his hair fell out. He lost 70
lbs in weight, became paralysed and, he too, is now confined to a wheelchair.
But they were lucky. Tryptophan can kill. In the USA more than 38
have been killed so far and an estimated 5,000 injured. The injuries caused by
tryptophan are so severe that it is inevitable that many more will die.
It is true that the tryptophan that was to blame for all these
tragedies was impure. The Japanese firm, Showa Denko, cut out many of the
processing steps to save costs, ending up with an impure product. And the
numbers who took it are so large because that one firm supplied nearly all the
world's manufacturers. But even in its pure form, it should not have been sold.
Tryptophan, as a drug, had already been banned because of fears over its
safety. Tryptophan is an essential protein in our diet, and manufacturers who
told us that we needed more promoted it. But tryptophan is found so widely in
foods, and so little is needed, that deficiency is unknown. It is true that
protein deficiency can occur, but giving tryptophan in such cases only makes
things worse.
Comfrey, used to treat wounds and broken bones,
and as an aid to digestion, is another 'natural' product which gives cause
for concern. It has already failed safety tests and is not recommended
by the Medicines Control Agency for use in licensed drug preparations.
It can never be used in any drug preparation - but that doesn't stop it
being sold in health food shops as a food supplement or a tea.
In one case a woman taking comfrey as an aid to digestion found
that her feet began to swell. Over 15 days, her stomach filled with fluid and
she gained 20 lbs in weight. Naturally she saw her doctor who was baffled, as
were others, when she had to be hospitalised for tests and major surgery. They
thought she had cancer or cirrhosis of the liver. Eventually, a specialist
recognised the symptoms as those of Bush Tea poisoning. The comfrey had damaged
her liver. Indeed, comfrey can cause cancer of liver.
Ginseng
has been used in the East for centuries. Hundreds of millions of people are
firm in their belief in the beneficial effects of ginseng. In the West too, its
use at present is expanding.
This expansion is not as a result of newly discovered beneficial
effects. Ginseng has been tested on animals and reports of these trials seem
promising. But only one well-controlled trial, so far, has reported the effects
of ginseng on humans. Using Korean ginseng in a placebo-controlled,
double-blind trial on night-shift nurses, mood and body feelings were assessed.
The results were less than impressive; the placebo improved as many aspects as
did the ginseng.
Ginseng is not without side effects and can be dangerous if
over-used. It can cause painful breasts, vaginal bleeding, skin eruptions,
oedema, hypertension, depression, nervousness, sleeplessness and diarrhoea in
the mornings. It is also addictive in the long-term.
But most of those symptoms are the result of taking too much.
Surely, if it is used properly, there shouldn't be a problem, should there? The
truth is that, as with most other herbs, we just don't know what the maximum
safe dose is. There are many types of ginseng: American, Chinese, Japanese,
Korean and Siberian. Each has different properties, discovered only recently
with the advent of high-performance liquid chromatography. Labels on the
products do not give amounts of the various active ingredients; they are not
required to as ginseng is categorised as a food. And they cannot, as the amount
of each ingredient in the plants themselves varies so much depending on when,
where and how they are grown. High intake is not only possible but actually
encouraged by the literature sold in the same health food shops as the ginseng.
For some women, ginseng can be dangerous even at low doses. It has
oestrogen-like effects and should not be taken if they are suffering from
cancer of the breast or uterus.
Kelp
tablets don't specify on the label that they contain iodine (although many
people take them for their iodine content), so one doesn't know how much one is
taking. But there is an upper limit to the amount of iodine that it is safe to
take. Follow the instructions and you will probably be taking too much.
Garlic
. Garlic is part of the Mediterranean Diet which is supposed to be healthy.
This is most people's motivation for taking garlic in this country. A number of
trials have been conducted over recent years to try to determine whether the
garlic is of benefit. In some it appears that it is, but others have shown the
opposite and, as yet, there is no convincing evidence on which to base a
recommendation one way or the other.
Two things are clear, however. Firstly, half a clove a day is
unlikely to have any significant effect on health. A recent review of a number
of trials where benefit was shown, found that to be of benefit the daily dose
should be 7-28 cloves a day. And that is more than most could eat (or their
neighbours tolerate). Secondly, in these trials where benefit was shown, it was
the allicin in the garlic which was found to be the beneficial ingredient. But
it is also allicin which causes the characteristic smell. Any product, such as
a garlic capsule, which has been prepared so that there is no aroma, is likely
to have had the active ingredient removed and, therefore, to be useless. And
what do the health food shops tend to sell? The ones which don't cause the
breath to smell.
St John's Wort
is taken for depression. It has been taken for so long that it is generally
thought to be very safe. But one must be careful if taking some prescription
drugs: other antidepressants, drugs for blood pressure or heart disease, and
antirejection drugs such as cyclosporin. It must also not be taken with foods
containing the amino acid,
tyramine.
This is found in
cheeses; yeast extracts, Oxo and Bovril; Bologna sausage; dried, salted or
pickled herring and cod; Pepperoni; Chianti wine; broad beans (fava, Chinese
pea pods); caffeine and chocolate if taken in large quantities; liver;
pineapple, plums and raisins; and soy sauce.
St John's wort can also makes the skin sensitive to sunlight.
Royal Jelly
is produced by bees in relatively small quantities. Naturally, its supply is
limited and it has to be sold at a high price. In her book,
Royal Jelly
, Irene Stein claims that it can cure 46 ailments: acne, AIDS, allergies,
angina, arthritis, bronchitis, cancer, cold sores, . . .. She also makes
miraculous claims about using royal jelly on animals; treating an anorexic
tortoise, a dog with a slipped disc and bringing a cow back to life in Ireland!
In an interview in 1989, Irene Stein was asked whether someone with cancer or
Aids, reading her book, could get hope and might easily believe that taking
royal jelly could help to cure them. She replied, 'I hope they do.'
In a television interview, Professor John Garrow of St.
Bartholomew's Hospital, London called her attitude irresponsible saying,
'Imagine the situation of a patient or the relative of a patient who can't
afford royal jelly and who is, therefore, put in the position that maybe they
are not doing their best for their wife or husband or child or parent. I think
that it is totally irresponsible and cruel. And I think that anyone who is
going to make claims of that sort has a very, heavy responsibility to be sure
that what they say is true. And far as I can see, that responsibility has been
totally ignored.'
Now, several years later, Irene Stein's claims are still unproven.
Although she no longer markets royal jelly herself, her book is still on the
market and royal jelly may still be bought.
The Rio Summit of 1992 and Sean Connery's film
The Medicine Man
helped to put all sorts of 'natural' products from the Brazilian rainforest in
the public eye. Two of them were
Guarana
and
Lapacho
. There was a large amount of media hype and health food shops boasted that
they had bits of the rainforest within. But, when tested, Guarana's active
ingredient turns out to be nothing more than caffeine; two guarana tablets a
day being the equivalent of one medium-strength cup of coffee. And Lapacho, or
'the Tree of Life' claimed on the label to contain lapacol, which boosts the
immune system. Actually, it contains none. When this fact was brought to the
notice of the manufacturer, Rio Trading, they changed the label.
Bran.
Bran is sold as a panacea for all kinds of disease from coronary heart disease
to varicose veins. Not so long ago bran, which is the outer husks of wheat and
other cereals, was a worthless by-product of the milling industry. It was
thrown away. Today it can be bought in health food shops, pharmacies and
supermarkets at great cost. But bran is not a food; there is no enzyme in our
bodies which can break it down. But that doesn't mean that it is harmless. Bran
is quite unlike vegetable fibre in that it contains phytate. Phytate binds with
a number of minerals and vitamins, so that the body cannot absorb them, and it
also depletes the body of a number of minerals. (For details of the harm bran
can do, see
The Cholesterol Myth
).
Another lucrative use that the manufacturers have found for bran
is in the multi-billion pound slimming industry. Fibre tablets are sold as a
slimming aid. One such tablet contains 0.2 g of bran and the dieter is
instructed to take 5-6 tablets a day. She is told that the fibre will stay in
her stomach and prevent her from feeling hungry. Let's examine the evidence.
Firstly, the whole basis of the fibre hypothesis is that fibre goes through the
gut faster; it does
not
remain in the stomach. Secondly the amount of fibre in 5-6 tablets at around 1
gram is about the amount of fibre found in one prune. But does it work? You
won't be surprised that the answer is 'no'. A typical trial published in 1989
found that 'The effect of fibre was consistently not significant.' It went on:
'Although several mechanisms have been suggested by which fibre might work,
none has yet proved acceptable.' It's hard to imagine that the eating of one
prune a day would reduce hunger pangs significantly, either.

Herbal and Conventional drug interaction

Introduction

There is a concern in the medical world, about the flourishing use of dietary supplements, called "nutraceuticals", the reluctance of patients to let their doctors know what nutriceuticals they are taking and the possible occurrence of interaction between nutraceuticals and prescribed drugs:

Nutraceuticals (herbal medicines) are being used by an increasing number of patients who typically do not advise their clinicians of their use. Known or potential drug-herb interactions exist and should be screened for.

For the nutraceutical industry and for the consumers of nutraceuticals, the concern should be broader than the concern of the medical world. The nutraceutical industry is primarily concerned with possible interaction of nutraceuticals with each other, as well as possible interaction of hutraceruticals with prescrition drugs.

While I have no desire to stop people taking nutraceuticals, thenutraceutical industry has a responsibility to educate their customers about possible drug interactions with their products. User of these products should also always tell their doctors to ensure that they can also warn of any possible interactions.

Below, I have mentioned a few of the interactions between nutraceuticals and prescribed drugs. This list id not exhaustive.

Summary

Echinacea can cause hepatotoxicity and therefore should not be used with other known hepatotoxic drugs, such as anabolic steroids, amiodarone, methotrexate, and ketoconazole.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may negate the usefulness of feverfew in the treatment of migraine headaches.

Feverfew, garlic, Ginkgo, ginger, and ginseng may alter bleeding time and should not be used concomitantly with warfarin sodium.

Ginseng may cause headache, tremulousness, and manic episodes in patients treated with phenelzine sulfate. Ginseng should also not be used with estrogens or corticosteroids because of possible additive effects.

St John wort should not be used with MAO inhibitors and serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

Valerian should not be used with barbiturates because of excessive sedation.

Kyushin, licorice,plantain, uzara root, hawthorn, and ginseng may interfere with digoxin pharmacodynamically and with digoxin monitoring.

Evening primrose oil and borage should not be used with anticonvulsants because they may lower the seizure threshold.

Kava when used with alprazolam has resulted in coma.

Immunostimulants (eg, Echinacea and zinc) should not be given with immunosuppressants (eg, corticosteroids and cyclosporine).

Tannic acids present in some herbs (eg, St John's wort and saw palmetto) may inhibit the absorption of iron.

Kelp as a source of iodine may interfere with thyroid replacement therapies.

Licorice can offset the pharmacological effect of spironolactone.

Numerous herbs (eg, karela and ginseng) may affect blood glucose levels and should not be used in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Ginseng and Ginkgo Biloba oppose each other and should not be used together

Herbal Teas

Many natural herbs are made into teas and drunk widely by intelligent people
who take particular trouble to read the labels and check for adverse side
effects. But many natural herbal teas, whose labels proclaim their
health-giving properties seem to be potent sources of harm. Some of the more
common ones, and the harm they can do are listed below:

Babchi
causes photosensitivity, a condition where going out into sunlight can be
painful.

Vitamin and mineral supplements

Another lucrative part of the health food business is the promotion and sale of
vitamins and mineral supplements. Many books and magazine articles may be found
extolling their virtues as a great way to stay healthy. But it is all
unsupported hype to boost sales.
No-one eating a normal diet of fresh fruit, vegetables and animal products such as meat, eggs, cheese, fish, etc, needs vitamin and mineral
supplements. Beware processed foods if you want to avoid unnecessary expense – and ill-health. We have, today, a climate in which food companies sell us dysfunctional (junk) food that makes us ill – and then sells us 'functional foods' (a euphemism for vitamins and mineral supplements) to make up for the deficiencies in their products. You are paying them twice!
Vitamins may be a waste of money but most people think of them as relatively
harmless. This isn't always the case. The government has issued warnings for a
long time about taking
vitamin A
in high doses. It is particularly dangerous for a woman to take vitamin A if
she is pregnant. In 1991, the health food industry agreed to ensure that
warnings were displayed on the labels of vitamin A. Yet it is still possible,
two years later, for anyone to buy vitamin A from health food shops and
pharmacies in packets which do not carry such warnings. In a random check in
Boots, for example, I found that their own combined vitamin A, C & D
tablets carried no warning, and neither did
Haliborange
. In a health food shop, there was
Healthilife Vitamin A
. It stated that 1 tablet contained 100% of the recommended daily amount (RDA),
yet said that up to three per day could be taken. The label on
Lanes' Carotene
claimed that each tablet provides nearly twice the recommended daily dose
(180%) and
Vitalia Selenium formula, A, C, E and Ginseng
tablets contain 133% of RDA. None of them carried any warning of the dangers
of overdose; indeed taking either of the last two products would ensure that an
overdose was inevitable. The only one I found which did carry a warning was
Adexolin
.
Calcium
tablets provide a good example of where manufacturers do not put as much
effort into ensuring that their products work as they do into promoting them.
Calcium supplementation is used to keep bones and teeth healthy. It is aimed
specifically at women who are at risk of osteoporosis (although osteoporosis isn't caused by a lack of calcium but of protein). For the calcium to be of
use to the body, the tablets must dissolve so that the calcium can be absorbed
through the gut wall. And they must dissolve within a specific time otherwise
they will have gone too far through a person to be absorbed.
Scientists at King's College, London, tested 10 brands of calcium
tablet in a solution similar to that found in the stomach, to see how effective
they were. The criterion used was that at least 50% of the tablet should have dissolved
within 45 minutes. Of the ten products tested, only two passed. They were
Health Aid Strong Calcium
and
Calcia
.
Of the others, most had hardly started to dissolve at all within
the 45 minutes. Professor Chris Marriott calls these tablets 'Bedpan Bullets'
as, having gone in one end and out the other it is in the bedpan that they end
up. He added 'if this is the quality of things that are sold in health food
shops, I hope this isn't the tip of an iceberg, and the others are just as
bad.' The test above is very simple. It could be done by the manufacturers, but
they don't do it because they don't have to. All they have to show is that the
tablets will break up into small pieces, and most will. But this does not prove
that they will dissolve and, if they don't dissolve, they don't work.
Calcium tablets are very expensive and so represent extremely poor
value for money. A pint of milk is not only more natural, it is much cheaper
and far more effective.
Liquid Iron
, if taken accidentally by a child, can have catastrophic results. Iron is
corrosive and can do a great deal of damage to the intestine. Acute symptoms
are abdominal pain and vomiting, progressing, in serious cases, to coma.
The list above is not exhaustive. No doubt there are other
products as worthless or dangerous now and, no doubt, others will be devised in
the future.
Health foods are big business. Their shops are everywhere offering
pills and potions to alleviate all modern afflictions, to give us more vitality
and arrest ageing in a 'natural' way. The phrase 'health food' lulls us into a
false sense of security, and their products are marketed as being good for us.
But the medical evidence to back such claims simply does not exist.
Pharmacists are forced into selling these products because of
public demand. But they have serious misgivings. Unlike the proprietors of
health food shops, pharmacists are trained in the prescription of drugs. But
when asked for advice about herbal remedies they tend to be at a loss. What,
for example, is the maximum safe dose? Do they interact with other drugs the
customer may be taking? The answer is, they just don't know. Nobody does, and
the consequences could be serious. Unless, that is, something is done to
regulate the health food industry.
The health food industry is campaigning to prevent further
regulation. It claims that if the rules are tightened, health food shops could
be put out of business. But the regulations now are so full of holes that
products:

Can be so impure that they kill.

Can be sold as foods although too dangerous to be used as drugs.

Can be sold without warnings on their labels.

Can make veiled and unsubstantiated medical claims.

Can be so badly made that they don't work.

May not even contain what they promise.

The European Commission is currently looking at the
regulations surrounding the sale of vitamins, minerals and herbal remedies.
We can only hope that it does its job quickly and thoroughly. And if
it does put the health food shops out of business, that may be no bad
thing. Even at best they are quite unnecessary.

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Disclaimer: Second Opinions is the website of Barry Groves PhD, offering online nutritional facts and online nutritional information. This website should be used to support rather than replace medical advice advocated by physicians.sitemap